Unverified Voracity: OL Ees Better Edition

Kolodziej weird-condition-type thing is AOK? Apparently:

"They were just checking up, everything's good," he said. "It wasn't much of a situation. I'm good to go."

Whether or not he'll play is a murkier issue, given Carr's previous statements on the offensive line that claim Alex Mitchell has worked his way into the starting lineup. If Bihl fails to impress once again, Michigan now has the option of sliding Riley back inside to guard and Kolo could draw in at RT, but he probably isn't going to be the first option at season's start.

Justin Boren's injury is progressing well and he should be ready to play in a week or two. This is relevant, since Carr said he'll play on the season preview edition of Michigan Replay. (Also mentioned as freshman contributors: WR Greg Mathews, RBs Carlos Brown and Brandon Minor (grumble grumble), DE Brandon Graham, and S Steve Brown.)

DE/OLB Chris McLaurin, a redshirt freshman, has moved to tight end after shoulder surgery:

Redshirt freshman Chris McLaurin, who underwent shoulder surgeries last spring, has moved from linebacker to tight end. He said coaches felt tight end would be better for his shoulders and knew he had played the position at Orchard Lake St. Mary's.

That's either a weak excuse or an ill omen for McLaurin's future.

(Note that this is the Free Press's Mark Snyder again breaking news.)

Pat Forde does not read MGoBlog. Lloyd Carr features in a really long article with this as its premise:

Used to be, a national title was the ultimate employment security blanket -- a veritable lifetime contract extension. These days, it might not even buy you a decade.

Despite backing this claim up with no data, he raises the stakes later, implying that it's do-or-die for the four coaches (Carr, Larry Coker, Phil Fulmer, and UK basketball coach Tubby Smith):

Now the wait is over, and prove-it time has arrived for the four embattled champions.

Too bad Forde didn't see this article, which features direct quotes from Bill Martin and Bo that directly contradict his thesis:

"Anybody that wants to get rid of him has to get rid of me first," Martin said. "He's not on the hot seat with me." That could be arranged at a lot of locales. But getting rid of Carr and Martin would mean taking on Bo Schembechler -- and that still seems like a scary proposition, even in Bo's near-dotage.

"There isn't one [critic] out there with guts enough to come up to me and say we need to change coaches," said Schembechler, who hired Carr decades ago. "I know there's some of that talk out there, but they don't tell me.

"The guy is quite a guy, so I don't mind standing in front of him. I'm not going to let those people do that to him, and I still do have some influence with some people up here. So he'll quit when he wants to."

Wait a minute... that's the same article. Pat Forde doesn't even read Pat Forde!

Elsewhere in Irritating-Carr-Hotseat stories, Dennis Dodd plays stopped clock by, oh, I dunno, listening to what the athletic department says and declaring Carr's job safe. Es miraculoso!

Seriously maladjusted recruitniks should start monitoring Jim__S's new blog; if that doesn't include you worry not. I've got it covered.

Etc.: Article on the WRs from the Grand Rapids Press; extensive profile of Leon Hall from a paper local to his California roots.